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(NEW YORK) — American gymnast Jordan Chiles broke her silence on the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripping her of the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise in Paris following an appeal.
“I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love I have received over the past few days,” Chiles wrote on Instagram. “I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time.”
She continued: “While I was celebrating my Olympic success, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped. I relied on the USAG appeal, which conclusively proved that my result complied with all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.”
Discussing the unsuccessful outcome of the appeal, Chiles expressed her disappointment.
“I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unfair and is a heavy blow, not only for me but for everyone who has supported me along the way,” she wrote.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Monday that it would not accept Chile’s appeal to disregard its bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, despite new evidence, USA Gymnastics said.
Chiles initially placed fifth in the individual floor exercise at last week’s Games, but was bumped up to the bronze medal spot when her coaches contested the scoring of one of the elements of her routine. She jumped from fifth to third place, leapfrogging two Romanian gymnasts – including Ana Barbosu, who had already begun to celebrate bronze.
The International Gymnastics Federation awarded Barbosu third place after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles’ coach’s appeal at the event was invalid. The CAS said Chiles’ score was “increased after the one-minute time limit had expired.” The CAS said the appeal came too late and reinstated the incorrect score of 13.666.
Chiles also said on Thursday that she has received hurtful messages online since the appeal process.
“To add to the suffering, the unsolicited racist attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and am so proud to represent my culture and my country,” she wrote.
This is a developing story, please check back later for updates.
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